Is St Andrews Old Course really that good?

[ColchesterFC]

I saw that The Old Course in St Andrews was at number 3 in the GM top 100 courses in UK&I and suggested via Twitter that it wasn't even in the top 3 courses in St Andrews let alone in the UK. The response from GM was that it was all about opinions but they thought my view would be in the minority so thought I'd post a poll to see what the forum view of it is.

In my opinion the Jubilee is a tougher course and the New is a better course. I haven't played some of the newer courses that have opened in the last 15 years but have heard that the Castle course is good as well. Yes the Old Course has the history but does it really have anything more than that?

 

[Foxholer]

I agree with you! Jubilee toughest; New also better imo. Castle apparently silliest!

It's not just about the Course though!

 

[Val]

From a pure visitor experience sticking aside the golf is there anywhere that can beat St Andrews? Following in the footsteps of legends down the first, playing into the 17tth green where people stand and watch from the path, playing the 18th where a shot into the 18th green will be applauded by passers by?

That is partly why the old course will always feature so highly

 

[JCW]

Not the best course yes but ? The history of the place is what makes it special , playing the course you know everyone who is anything in golf has played it and it is said all the great golfers have won an open there , Seve , Jack, Tiger , Peter Thompson , Faldo have all won there and Rory will as well next year .

 

[guest100718]

An iconic course. I hope to play it in 2015.

 

[patricks148]

From a pure visitor experience sticking aside the golf is there anywhere that can beat St Andrews? Following in the footsteps of legends down the first, playing into the 17tth green where people stand and watch from the path, playing the 18th where a shot into the 18th green will be applauded by passers by?

That is partly why the old course will always feature so highly

Total agreement Martin.

It may not be the hardest of best laid out of the courses in and around St Andrews, but as the Home of Golf and The favorite Open Venue, the experience alone tales it into the top 5, its a must play and is prob close to the cheapest green fee for Open Venues.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Yes it really is that good and fully deserves to be ranked where it is

 

[JCW]

Played it in 2005 for the 1st time , shot 76 gross, Net 70 , 3 over going out and 1 over coming back with birdies on 9 & 13 , Par on 17th with Driver 6 iron 2 putts , got scorecard signed by the pro I was playing with to prove it and its framed and kept at my home , Great experience to play it and for that alone it stands where it is in the ranking , will i play it again , no because once is good enough ........... :thup:

 

[ColchesterFC]

Yes it really is that good and fully deserves to be ranked where it is

What is it in your opinion that makes it so good LP? I fully accept the history of the place, and maybe I was spoiled by playing it so often when I was at Uni up there, but I just don't get why it is regarded so highly. If the wind blows it can be a tough test but that is true of all links courses and a lot of inland courses as well. In my opinion the history alone isn't enough to justify its ranking and I don't think it has anything else to raise it above the level of an average links course.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Played it in 2005 for the 1st time , shot 76 gross, Net 70 , 3 over going out and 1 over coming back with birdies on 9 & 13 , Par on 17th with Driver 6 iron 2 putts , got scorecard signed by the pro I was playing with to prove it and its framed and kept at my home , Great experience to play it and for that alone it stands where it is in the ranking , will i play it again , no because once is good enough ........... :thup:

But shouldn't a really great course make you want to go back and play it again? And would you have liked it as much if you'd shot 86 instead of 76?

I played The Grove earlier this year and everything about the place was superb, on and off the course. My golf was OK on the front 9 and poor on the back 9 but I'm still looking to go back and play again as I loved the place.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I have only ever been nervous hitting golf shots on one course - The Old Course,

It made me feel honoured and special walking along the fairways

No one other course has made me feel - "Wow how lucky am I to be here"

Walking over the bridge , teeing off from 17 , every shot I was shaking. Felt the best feeling in the world hitting the ball on the course.

Don't thjnk any other course will give me that feeling that im somewhere truly special

 

[Deleted member 15344]

But shouldn't a really great course make you want to go back and play it again? And would you have liked it as much if you'd shot 86 instead of 76?

I played The Grove earlier this year and everything about the place was superb, on and off the course. My golf was OK on the front 9 and poor on the back 9 but I'm still looking to go back and play again as I loved the place.

Grove for me feels manufactured and fake - trying to create something that it will never be

 

[JCW]

But shouldn't a really great course make you want to go back and play it again? And would you have liked it as much if you'd shot 86 instead of 76?

I played The Grove earlier this year and everything about the place was superb, on and off the course. My golf was OK on the front 9 and poor on the back 9 but I'm still looking to go back and play again as I loved the place.

Plenty of other places to get round too before i even think about it ..........fact that i played well made it more special yes , if you can`t enjoy a course like that as a golfer with all its history , time to give up .

 

[fundy]

As a course, nope nothing special relatively for this list, some good holes and some ordinary ones, but playing the Old Course is about more than that. As an overall experience its wonderful, albeit personally I would have it ranked lower, as I would the Grove (cant believe we're talking about the 2 in the same sentence lol)

 

[Hobbit]

If it didn't have the history and ambience, no. But I love the place and the feeling I get when I've been there. Some say that apart from the 1st, 17th & 18th it has nothing of note... but what about the Beardies, or Spectacle bunkers?

As a half decent amatuer footballer I never ever got close to playing on a professional's pitch let alone Wembley. At St Andrews you get to walk in the footsteps of your golfing hero's.

Each to their own, but it blows me away playing it.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

It is not even 'the home of golf'.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Grove for me feels manufactured and fake - trying to create something that it will never be

It was the condition of the course that I was most impressed with. The fairways were like carpets and the greens were immaculate. To me it felt like a "proper" golf course of the sort you see on TV rather than a scruffy bit of land near the sea with some golfers on it.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

http://www.scottishgolfhistory.org/oldest-golf-sites/
http://www.scottishgolfhistory.org/oldest-golf-clubs-societies/

There you go.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Guess will be what someone's interpretation of "proper" golf course.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I think the members of Carnoustie and Montrose might be a bit upset by you calling their courses 'not proper'.